A Chance Encounter
by buds-of-marjoram
Summary: (AU) Traversing a forest after dark is never a good idea. Apparently, our hero never got that memo...


A/N: This is a crack AU with Red Riding Hood elements (barely there to be honest). This was a bday gift for a dear friend of mine who wanted a RRH-themed Sebaciel. Both Sebastian and Ciel are teenagers here.

This story does not take itself seriously at all. It is pure crack and humour, and I hope you will not find it too silly, or horrible! XD

This story is cross-posted on ao3 as well under "Mira2016". This is the first time I write something in this format, so I'd appreciate any form of feedback!

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"Did you have to accept his challenge!?" whined Finny while trudging along Sebastian. The road they walked on was hardly ever used anymore. The forest path that used to attract nature lovers for hiking and for other not so innocent acts now lay deserted. Well, deserted, except for the two idiot young adults walking through it. Imagine that scene with me now: it is past the witching hour, ehm, forgive me, the midnight hour. It is completely dark, with a new moon in the sky, and the scattered stars is completely hidden by the dense forest trees. Moss and wild plants cover most of the once-well-beaten path. -Honestly though, melodrama aside, it was just covered by fallen leaves and overgrown branches of bushes on both sides.

"Oh, chill, already! You know I couldn't back down," said the dark haired fool carelessly. "Did you see that bastard's face when he gloated that he spent the night here and that I couldn't!? Claude thinks he's the most heroic in human history just because he walked that same path which we have been walking on for the past hour and a half and we saw nothing weird. It is just a cold, dank, dark forest."

Now, let's pause that again. Sorry, I keep interrupting…

Some background information of that certain forest featured so prominently in the above conversation:

Not so long ago, this specific forest was a very wholesome place. After all, it is just a grouping of lovely large trees on the outskirts of a bustling city. It was a refuge of sorts from the hectic modern day-to-day life. Fast-forward to just a year ago, people started hearing weird voices. Twin pinpoints of light have been seen. People picnicking in the glorified park-cum-forest had their lunches stolen and trysting lovers have been growled at. Rumours that the forest is haunted started circulating. Some said ghosts, others demons. Those with wilder imagination said humongous horned beasts and malicious fairies. Those who are silly said werewolves….- yeah, right! - Eventually, the forest became deserted, daredevil teenagers started challenging each other to cross it at night and this brings us to our current story, of two idiot young adults traversing the dark unknown together, aka the deserted park path.

"I mean," Sebastian loquaciously continued, "get real, should we believe there is a bloody demon hiding in this overgrown flower-bed! It must have been a stray cat which would be awesome and not a complete waste of my time!"

"Come on, Sebastian, you heard what Bard said. How the last time he was here with Mey they heard this weird noise," responded valiant Finnian vehemently, then continued in contemplative tone, "he keeps saying it's a sound between, a howl, a growl and a screech…what possibly could make such a weird noise?"

"Well, nothing makes such a weird noise because Bard was drunk and too far focused on Mey to even hear anything. And if he did, it could have been a stray dog that they disturbed and was trying to get them to leave its temporary shelter," drawled Sebastian lazily and sitting beside a large tree to get some rest before continuing their perilous journey. Finny, being Finny and missing dinner that night because he had a last-minute school assignment to finish, produced a couple of turkey sandwiches from his backpack and offered one to his grumpy and bored friend.

Not a 5 minutes after this grandiose, er, small speech, they heard a noise in a nearby underbrush and saw two tiny lights that could have been fireflies for all they know. Though, before Sebastian even managed to process that they are seeing something, Finny dropped his sandwich and torch screaming like a banshee while running into the night as if he was pursued by the most vicious of hellhounds in the direction of the town. He never heard Sebastian yelling after him, "the town is in the other direction!"

Hearing a small rustle behind him, Sebastian decided to ignore Finny and his cowardice for a moment, and turned around and met a couple of cerulean eyes. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, opened them, rubbed them again, and when nothing worked he stared and then stared some more.

In front of him stood…a small boy? Sebastian could not even tell what kind of being he was seeing. The only fact that was becoming fast apparent is that the little thing in an over-large shirt was glowering at him in annoyance. The small child, who could not have been more than 10 years old, standing before him with lips pursed and arms crossed, had two fluffy blue-greyish ears on the top of his head and a pushy tail of matching colour. How can that be!?…no, seriously, how?

The being started tapping a small bare foot on the ground when Sebastian did nothing but stare at him; the small creature was cute really, resembling more a grumpy kitten than anything else. All of a sudden, the idiot young adult was rudely brought out of his shock…by a rock thrown at his head.

"Ouch! Why the hell did you do that?!" Rubbing his sore head, he snapped at the strange creature before him, not really expecting an answer. But, oh boy, will he be surprised.

"You were staring at me, dumbass! It's rude to stare, and even worse, it's rude to ignore people when they talk to you!" answered the small young being hotly, making it very clear that he can talk in perfect, cultured accent even better than the idiot before him, and shocking him badly enough that he kept doing the thing he got reprimanded for.

"Honestly, only stupid people seem to walk around this park these days." grumbled the child in clear hearing of such an idiot.

"Hey, brat! What's your problem? So, you're the one behind all the strange noises and sightings lately?"

"Well partly."

"But, but, you have not talked to anyone else! Why did you want to scare them away?" Sebastian continued his questioning

Glowering a bit more, the little child snapped, "listen you, I asked you for some of your sandwich, not invited you to interrogate me!" Sebastian was taken aback, looking from the audacious child to his hand, to realise that yes, he was still holding the forgotten sandwich. "Are you going to give me some or should I be on my way?" continued the child a bit more quietly.

Sebastian deciding to be daring, pointing to Finny's fallen sandwich which was barely out of its wrapper "there's almost a complete one over there. Why don't you take it?" he asked.

A look of horrifying shock, disgust and self-satisfaction people get when their opinions are proved true, overcame the child's face, "it's on the floor, why would I eat something that's fallen on the floor and got dirt all over it! I knew you're an idiot, but not a barbaric one as well!"

Out right laughter met his proud proclamation! After Sebastian got a hold of himself, he offered his sandwich to the child, while cooing at him "aren't you a proud little thing! Here you go then."

The said proud little thing cursed at him under his breath not moving an inch from his place a few steps away.

"What's wrong, I thought you wanted it. Come on, take it."

"Feed me…" a tiny voice said, Sebastian almost did not hear it

"What?"

"Feed me, damn you!" cursed the boy, and continued indignantly "It's not as if I'm asking you to murder for me or something! I have been hiding and touching all the dirt on the trees and the ground all day. My hands are utterly filthy! Is that too hard to understand!?"

Sebastian, being highly entertained decided to go along with the ridiculous demand, but he decided to have something in return…

"Alright, but you must answer my questions," said our overly confident idiot, while tearing a small peace from the sandwich and offering it to the child who crept closer cautiously.

"Fine," whispered the child in annoyance, then added more menacingly, as menacingly as a fluffed up kitten could be anyway, "but don't you dare tell anyone about me or refute the rumours about the park, understood?"

"Deal," answered Sebastian with an amused gleam in his eyes and offered another bite to the young creature. "First question: do you have a name?"

"Naturally," the boy said, after taking the bite with a small mouth not really that much different from a human. You could see the doubt of the teenager's intelligence in his eyes clearly, "It's Ciel."

"Mine's Sebastian." He introduced himself offering another bite, and then asked in genuine interest "What manner of being are you exactly?"

Taking the bite and mellowing out slightly from the food, he answered honestly "I'm a werewolf," then looked up at the taller boy, waiting for his reaction.

Sebastian didn't know what to say. The first thought that came to his mind is bullshit. Werewolves are not real. Yet, the strange boy stood before him with wolf ears and a tail. So, it was true…Werewolves exist and the silly people of the town are the correct ones… The horror!

Recovering quicker than expected, and offering more food, he asked, "have you always been out here then?"

Sighing and settling on the ground for a longer explanation, "No, I'm here as training. My ears and tail just appeared and I'm supposed to get familiar with the different way I perceive things with them. You see, young weres go along several stages while growing up, the first of them is the appearance of those troublesome things," he said while touching his ears then taking the bite the larger boy offered after settling down beside him. "This phase should last from 2 weeks to a month. Anyway," Ciel continued, "I'm training my stealth and ability to feed and protect myself for that duration. I'm almost done anyway, and I should be back to normal in another couple of days."

Processing what Ciel said, "back up a bit. You said that you started your training just a month ago, but the noises have been going on for almost a year!" Sebastian noted.

Impressed with that the seemingly idiotic teen actually noticed this little detail, answered "well, my family moved to town last year, and my father thought it would be a grand idea if this park became our own 'hunting grounds'," his opinion about the idea was apparent from his hand gestures and eye-rolling, "he started transforming here and running when he felt the need to be closer to nature, and it was imperative that no one saw him or my mother. So, he scared everyone and started the rumours himself." The boy concluded and ate the last bite of the sandwich that started all this.

Even if the sandwich was gone, Sebastian was still full of questions.

"I see, and instead of actually fending for yourself you stole food and had me hand-feeding you?" observed Sebastian teasingly. Ciel, not appreciating the idiot's teasing threw another rock at his head and glowered some more, increasing the other's laughter.

"Why did you decide to talk to me tonight?" was the next question he fired at poor Ciel who wanted to head back to the shelter he managed to find – an actual tent he stole from home before leaving, of course – and sleep till daybreak.

Acknowledging Sebastian's generosity – also he was bored as hell – Ciel decided to answer, "you were the only one who didn't smell like fear…" he said quietly, "the rest was too scared. Even if they saw me with my usual fully human appearance they would run for their lives, so what's the point?"

Noting the sombre way the child explained this in, Sebastian quietly asked, "how old are you then?"

"13, will be 14 next month," was the immediate answer he received.

"What! You don't look a day over 10!" the other said incredulously.

"Idiot! Of course I'm not 10! What kind of parents would leave a 10-year old alone like this for a whole month!?" Ciel yelled at his companion then asked "how old are you, anyway?"

"I'm 16. How come you aren't in our school then?"

"I'm home-schooled," was the reply, "my father moves around a lot for his job. Attending school for a couple of months, only to be transferred to another one afterwards is a waste of time and effort. Why bother getting acclimated and making friends when you'll lose them soon enough anyway," Ciel finished stoically.

Sebastian could see the veiled loneliness in Ciel's eyes, and decided that he would do something about it.

"So, listen, the deal was I give you food, you answer my questions, and I keep my mouth shut about you. But, I changed my mind!" he drawled.

"What! You bastard! What do -"

"Let me finish," Sebastian interrupted him. "I'll easily keep silent about you and your family. It's of no benefit to me if anyone knew about you lot, anyway. But, as soon as you're back to normal, I want you to attend school with us. That's my one condition."

"Why do you care?" Ciel asked suspiciously.

"I just do… I want us to be friends and I want to see you again and get to know you." Seeing that Ciel was ready to interrupt him again, he raised his hand in a silent request for him to let him finish, "I have no ulterior motive and I can promise you that if your family moves again, you won't lose at least one friend… what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Ciel, who listened to all this with widened eyes and barely-there belief of the stupidity of a boy traversing a park-cum-forest haunted by ghosts at night and feeding lone werewolves his sandwich, could do nothing but give a silent firm nod.

Though, when he saw a pleased smirk starting to appear on Sebastian's face, he threw another small rock at his head with a yelled "idiot".

Thus, two days later, the young werewolf was back to normal and started attending school for the very first time.

A dark-haired idiot wore a very self-satisfied smirk and a look of triumph when he became the very first friend of a blue-eyed beauty. Yet, it was nothing compared to the expression he wore when he gave said beauty his first kiss and became, officially, his boyfriend.

But that's a story for another day...

The End

Oh wait, what about Finny, you ask…

Sebastian, Bard, Mey and a few other friends had to organise a search party the next morning - with clear instructions for Ciel to stay out of sight and hide his tent, which he told Sebastian about to the latter's amusement and the former's annoyance and regret. They found him late in the afternoon sitting between two squirrels and talking with them while sharing their stash of hazelnuts. He still insists that they saved him from the horned humongous beast. Every time he says this in front of our two unlikely friends, Sebastian laughs his ass off, and Ciel blushes to the tips of his ears.

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A/N: Apologies for any language mistakes. I hope you enjoyed it!


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